Monday, December 31, 2012

Favorite Music of 2012

To begin, a few disclaimers:  1)  It's called "favorite" because, as objective as any listener may strive to be, (s)he still has genres and bands (s)he just doesn't like.  2)  While I've listened to a lot of music released in 2012, I have still only listened to a small fraction of music-new-to-2012.  3)  I firmly believe that great artists will release great albums, not just singles.  For those that prefer singles, I have listed notable songs with each album. 4)  A lot of excellent music was made this year that I spun regularly, but doesn't make the list.  Runner-ups for this list include Mumford & Sons, Café Tacvba, and Sharon Van Etten.  And now, feast your eyes and ears:

Claire Boucher--the one-woman show that is Grimes--uniquely blurs her gorgeous falsetto with layers upon layers of electronic beats and hooks that make her songs fresh for fans of electronic music.  While lyrically simple, the songs Genesis and Oblivion take on powerful meaning in her music videos, which challenge female stereotypes and the influence of male sports on violence in society. Notable songs:  Genesis, Oblivion, Symphonia IX (My Wait is U).

Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally master the genre that is 'Dream Pop.' Legrand's ethereal, gutteral, resonant, and incredible vocals are backed by a more diverse and lush array of synthesizers, bass lines, and drum beats than on Teen Dream.  On Bloom, the duo takes its listeners on a cryptic, reflective journey through the fear and false-self image that are common to our generation.  Notable songs:  Myth, Wild, The Hours

8. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
Bruce's voice fighting for the lower-class bleeds through the album: romanticized in Easy Money, desperate in Jack of All Trades, down-and-out in This Depression, and hopeful in Land of Hopes and Dreams.  While a 100-piece band and anthemic ballads are still central to Bruce's music, this album uniquely includes gospel influences, guitar solos by Tom Morello and rapping by Michelle Morris.  Notable songs:  Shackled and Drawn, Wrecking Ball, Rocky Ground

7. Bob Dylan - Tempest
Bob Dylan's voice has changed with age, but so has his band--developing a bluesy, folksy rock-n-roll sound that has never been richer. Death runs rampant throughout Tempest, explored through unjust treatment by the government (Pay in Blood),  the murder of an unfaithful lover (Tin Angel), the emotions of fictional characters on the Titanic (Tempest),and an ode to John Lennon (Roll on John).  Notable songs:  Pay in Blood, Tempest, Roll on John

6. Gaby Moreno - Postales
Gaby Moreno has a smoky, bluesy, jazzy voice that will win over even the hardest of hearts.  Her musical style is heavily influenced by the jazz and blues NYC scenes, but also by her Latin American roots. Hesitant about the success of a mash-up between these genres, Gaby interspersed a few Spanish-language songs among mostly English numbers on 2011's Illustrated Songs. On 'Postales,' Gaby throws all reservations to the wind and laces solely-spanish lyrics over a wide array of musical arrangements influenced by Blues, Jazz, and Latin American music to produce an album richly rewarding on each listen.  Notable songs:  No Estoy Tan Mal, Blues del Mar, Quizas Quizas Quizas

5. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar
Johanna and Klara Söderberg, two sisters from Sweden, "string" together absolutely gorgeous harmonies over wonderful folk melodies.  The songs of Lion's Roar deal with "the hectic coming-of-age pace by trying to bring life to a halt." The tone of the album is "optimistically languid," while the characters of the folk narratives face fears of "being young and having a lot of hopes and dreams" and of "not ending up alone" in the words of Klara.  Notable songs:  Lion's Roar, Emmylou, King of the World

 Carla Morrison posseses a sweet as honey, gorgeous, every (wo)man voice, a mastery of stringed instruments, the ability to write heart-breaking lyrics as poetry, and a fearlessness in expressing the deepest of emotions. Applied to the 14 songs on Déjenme Llorar, Carla will win your heart and tears, whether with the 50s slow dance/burner Eres Tú, the guitarrón-heavy swing song Hasta la Piel, the classic take-me-back tune featuring an explosion of keys and strings Maleza, or the tragic tale of unrequited love Me Puede/Falta de RespetoNotable songs:  Maleza, Déjenme Llorar, Me Puede/Falta de Respeto

3.  Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
23-year-old Brittney Howard has some of the most powerful pipes in the music scene that steal the show throughout this incredible debut album.  Excellent drum beats and bluesy guitar give this band a fresh, gritty sound, while the songwriting drips of wisdom beyond the years of this insanely talented young band. Notable songs:  Hold On, Be Mine, I Ain't the Same
The vocal and instrumental range Fiona accomplishes on this album make the best efforts of Norah Jones and Regina Spektor look like children playing kazoos on the jungle jim.  Easily the most diverse of the year, this album represents a "listening journey" well-worth taking.  Lyrically, this journey includes Fiona's neurosis (Every Single Night), destroying relationships (Daredevil), mutual mistreatment (Werewolf), and relational playfulness (Anything We Want).  Notable songs:  Werewolf, Anything we Want, Hot Knife

Read this.  The Gaslight Anthem write unironic love songs in an ironic age.  I'm convinced that if more dudes listened to them they would tap into their romantic side, gather more courage to ask girls out, and better deal with the heartbreak of failed relationships. Never has Gaslight's sound been tighter than on Handwritten, which includes punk rock, grunge rock, power ballads, and slow-burners along with the usual heavy Springsteen influence.  Notable songs:  Handwritten, Mulholland Drive, Biloxi Parish, Mae


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